Shades of Red
by Cerebrate
Summary: An exploration and development of the relationship between Souji and Yukiko through the Persona 4 storyline.
1. 4122011

**A/N: This story will contain several vignettes attempting to further delve into Souji and Yukiko's relationship from both points of view. As I played the game, Yukiko seemed to be the most favorable relationship, which inspired me to write this. I plan to keep as true to the game's scenes as possible (so that includes re-using some of the in-game text) while adding in some of my own to flesh out their relationship. Hopefully, it'll give you a sense of playing the game again as well. Reviews are appreciated, and I hope you enjoy!**

**Warning- chapters will contain spoilers as the story progresses. Please don't read unless you've beaten the game!**

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_"What is it which makes a man and a woman know that they, of all other men and women in the world, belong to each other? Is it no more than chance and meeting? No more than being alive together in the world at the same time? Is it only a curve of the throat, a line of the chin, the way the eyes are set, a way of speaking? Or is it something deeper and stranger, something beyond meeting, something beyond chance and fortune?"_

- **Robert Nathan**, _Portrait of Jennie_

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* * *

_

"I'm home!"

"Welcome back!" a voice called out. "How was your first day of school?" A little girl with pigtails stood up from her seat in front of the television and walked over to greet the older boy who had just entered the room.

"It was fine Nanako, thanks," the gray haired boy replied, setting down his backpack at the bottom of the stairs before striding over with the little girl back to her spot in front of the television.

Truth be told, Souji Seta's first day at school was more than just fine, it was great. In just one day, he had made acquaintances with a few of his classmates, and felt more accepted here in the small countryside town of Inaba than he had ever felt anywhere before. Because of his parents' job, he had to move constantly and he found it difficult to meet people he could really connect with- sometimes he wondered why he even bothered trying when he knew that he only had less than a year before disappearing from their lives just as quickly as he had entered it.

Perhaps for this reason, as well as some others concerning his own reserved personality, Souji had never seriously pursued a romantic relationship. His thoughts lingered on those he had called friends in the past, before eventually settling on the trio he had met today at school.

_Yosuke Hanamura_. He had also transferred from the city, and he seemed like a nice guy. Souji had felt genuine kindness from him when he first met him, and the feeling had not dissipated after talking with him.

_Chie Satonaka_. This girl was a bit of an oddity. Souji had to admit she was kind of cute, but what had grabbed his attention most about her wasn't the way she looked, nor was it the seemingly random triad of buttons on her jacket. No- it was the fact that she was holding a pack of something labeled "meat gum", and even more the fact that she was_ chewing it._

_Yukiko Amagi_. Daughter of the owners of the town's famous Amagi Inn. She had only introduced herself and conversed with Souji briefly before leaving the classroom, but she intrigued him the most. She was a bit of an enigma; a hint of sadness in her dark eyes belied the words she spoke.

Souji shook his head and tried turning his concentration to the quiz show that Nanako was watching, but to no avail; he found that his thoughts continually drifted to Yukiko. Earlier in the day after school, he had walked through the hallways and explored every nook and cranny of his new school, familiarizing himself with the locations of the offices and classrooms. It was in one of the hallways he passed through that he overheard two girls talking about the "Amagi challenge." From what Souji could understand through the chitchat and giggles, it seemed that Yukiko was quite a popular girl, and it was some kind of competition among guys of the school to work up the courage to ask her out. She had rejected every single one who had come up to her, some of who would even spend days or weeks reciting their pickup lines in front of a mirror. Souji had bore witness firsthand to two brave challengers- the first being an unusual looking boy, the second being none other than Yosuke. Souji had smiled inwardly after both challengers left with dejected looks on their faces- Yukiko Amagi was certainly an interesting girl.

Nanako's eyes lit up and she gave a sudden cheer as Souji gave a twitch of surprise in his seat. A catchy tune had begun playing on the television, and Nanako seemed to be completely absorbed by the commercial.

"Everyday's great at your Junes!" she sang happily, moving her hands and bobbing her head along with the theme song of the local supermarket. As she bounced up and down to the jingle, she looked expectantly at Souji with a huge grin on her face.

Souji smiled back weakly as he felt the terribly catchy lyrics push up his throat and through his reluctant lips.


	2. 4152011

A raven haired girl sat alone in the desolate Samegawa flood plain, under a small roof which shielded her from the torrent of rain that had fallen upon Inaba. Light that found its way through overcast skies outlined her pink kimono and etched a sad smile upon her face.

Yukiko Amagi sighed and stared out across the plain at the river which ran parallel to the road, watching as the volatile surface shimmered ad infinitum under the barrage of rain. Her mother had sent her out of the inn to shop for a few things, but she honestly had neither the strength nor the drive to do so. Instead, she crossed the flood plain and sat down in the gazebo- the view and the noise of raindrops drumming the soft earth was soothing, and a welcome change in scenery compared to her everyday life at the inn. Time to herself was rare lately, and for the first time in days, she was able to put aside her troubles and think to herself.

Despite what she had told Chie and her other classmates, she was reluctant to inherit ownership of the inn. The inn tied her down and because of it, she had no say in her own life; everything was decided for her, from the way she should dress to the way she should act. The Amagi Inn was the bane of her existence- because of the inn, she could never become her own person; she could never pursue her own dreams. And if she inherited the inn, she could never leave Inaba.

She had thought about leaving Inaba before, running away from the inn and starting a new life elsewhere where she wouldn't be tied down by family expectations and tradition. However, she could never muster the courage to do so, and it was for this reason she began to fantasize that someone would come to this isolated town and take her elsewhere, somewhere far far away. From time to time, Chie would fit that role. Hanging out with Chie was one of the few times she could really be carefree and forget herself, but that feeling of euphoria never lasted long. When she'd return to the inn, reality would sink in and once again Yukiko would find herself wishing that she were somewhere else. 

_Somewhere other than here._

Souji Seta had only transferred to the same class a few days ago, but Yukiko had immediately found herself drawn to him. She had heard that Souji had to move often because of his parents' work; in a way, he was just like her. He was probably pulled along by his parents wherever their work took them, and like Yukiko, unable to swim against the waves of conformity. Why else would he willingly move from the big city to a little town in the middle of nowhere?

In Souji, she saw a person she could relate to and confide in. Perhaps with him, she could find a way through the bars of the cage that confined her.

Yukiko looked up as the sound of wet footsteps reached her ears. Souji stood on the main road, looking over in her direction, his gray hair almost one with the dreary backdrop behind him.

"Hm…?"

Souji made his way over to her and folded up his umbrella before taking a seat beside her. He gave her a small smile before dropping his gaze to her pink kimono, an expression of slight confusion creeping over his face.

"Yukiko…" he started. Yukiko suddenly realized how odd she must have looked to anyone passing by, sitting in the middle of a rainstorm wearing a pink kimono.

"Oh… are you surprised to see me dressed this way? My parents sent me out on an errand…" she stated blandly. She had felt a blush rise to her cheeks when Souji had stared at her, and her mind went blank. Souji was again staring at her, and Yukiko found herself suddenly very eager to change topics.

"Um… are you getting used to your new town and school?" she blurted.

"I like it here," Souji replied, giving a small nod. "It's nice and quaint here, and everyone's so tightly knit that the whole town seems to already know about me. School's fun too, except for having Mr. Mokorna for homeroom…"

Yukiko stifled a giggle. "Morooka," she corrected, as Souji rectified his mistake with a small chuckle. "I'm glad to hear that. Still, it must be difficult, moving to a place you know nothing about." She paused for a second, reflecting on her previous assessment of Souji- she was certain that he was someone she could talk to about her problems, and the look in his gray eyes told her that she could trust him.

"I've never been out of Inaba, so I wouldn't know what it's like to transfer to a new school…" she admitted, unsure of how she should continue.

Souji shrugged slightly. "People are always friendly on the first day. They introduce themselves and sometimes they show me around, so it's not so bad. Chie did a pretty good job of describing the school for me."

"Oh! Are you getting along with Chie? I mean, I always leave early, so… um…" Again Yukiko found herself grasping for words. Why was she having such a hard time talking to him?

"We're getting along. She seems like an interesting girl. I just wish she wouldn't practice her kung-fu moves on me. There were a few close calls," Souji recalled, with a pained expression on his face.

Yukiko let a cry of laughter slip through her lips. That sounded exactly like something Chie would do, using the new transfer student as a punching bag. "Chie's very supportive, you know. It's always her who gives me the little extra push I need. We had homeroom together last year too, and I still remember how we'd cut class sometimes."

"She definitely seems the type," Souji agreed.

Yukiko gave him a heartfelt smile before returning her gaze back to the river. Suddenly, it hit her that she still had errands to do, and that she had likely spent quite some time talking with Souji. She wished she could have stayed a little longer and talked some more, but unfortunately, her duties to the inn came before her own pleasures.

"… I should get going," she stated, pulling herself off her seat. "I need to make tomorrow's arrangements with our head chef. Our inn can't function without me right now."

She looked down at Souji apologetically, expecting a look of disappointment or even annoyance in return. Instead, she was surprised to find understanding in eyes that seemed much wiser and more mature than the boy they belonged to.

Her heart fluttered a bit and she felt blood rise to her cheeks as she stammered, "Um… I'll see you at school, then."

Souji simply nodded, and Yukiko quickly opened up her umbrella and made her way back to the main road of the flood plain. She could still feel Souji's eyes on her back, and it sent a warm tingle down her spine.

Souji Seta was certainly an interesting boy_._


	3. 4302011

Gloomy skies and dark clouds loomed threateningly in the horizon over Inaba as students of Yasogami High School began groggily pulling themselves out of bed. Dreary grays dabbled over the normally lively and colorful town, and Souji was surprised to see how much of an effect the overcast had on his neighborhood as he peered through the window of his room.

Grabbing his umbrella from a bin by the door, he followed Nanako through the front door and into the abysmal weather outside. A blast of cold air greeted his face, and he felt himself shiver a bit as he fumbled around in his pockets to find the house key. After making sure the door was securely locked, he and Nanako embarked on their daily walk to school. Nanako was upbeat as usual despite the dreary weather, skipping alongside him as she hummed the annoyingly catchy jingle of the Junes theme song that Souji had lately come to hate. The tune plagued him day and night, playing in his mind during school and at home, which made it extremely hard to concentrate on even the simplest of things. To make matters worse, ever since he had discovered his power to enter TVs and unwittingly got himself and his friends involved with the serial murder case, it had been decided that the Junes food court would be their special headquarters, where the Junes theme song blared indolently out of speakers for the entire afternoon.

Souji bit his lip as he thought about the TV world and what lay inside it. In that strange world he had met a bizarre creature that called itself Teddie, aptly named after its own likeliness to a stuffed bear. Together, he, Chie, and Yosuke had deduced that the murders of TV announcer Mayumi Yamano and fellow student Saki Konishi were somehow related to both the Midnight Channel and the mysterious TV world. Using their newfound hypothesis, they were able to predict that Yukiko would be the next target, but they were still unable to prevent her from being kidnapped and forced into the TV world.

But unlike before, they were now able to fight the dark creatures that lurked in the other world with a power called Persona. It gave them confidence to explore the world, and they were able to track down Yukiko with Teddie's help. They stumbled upon the giant castle her mind had created, and watched as she battled her shadow, an embodiment of her own suppressed thoughts and feelings. Unable to accept her other self, Yukiko's denial had allowed her shadow to manifest into its own being- a large monstrous bird surrounded by metal bars of a cage. Souji and the others had rushed to her defense, and ultimately defeated the shadow in a grueling battle. A weakened Yukiko finally acknowledged that her shadow was indeed a part of her, a part of her that she didn't want anyone else to know. Facing her true feelings, Yukiko awoke her Persona- Konohana Sakuya.

Yukiko had been absent from school ever since. Like Yosuke and Chie before her, she too was weakened from the time in the TV world and from the battle with her shadow. Chie had announced to Souji and Yosuke yesterday that Yukiko would be back at school today, but Souji found himself still worried. None of them knew what the long term effects of staying too long in the TV world were, and Yukiko had been inside there for days before they had managed to rescue her.

"I'll see you later big bro!" Nanako called out as she turned down a street toward her own school. Souji watched her skip off until her silhouette disappeared through the fog, then continued on his everyday route.

As Souji neared the entrance of the school, he could make out a figure wearing brilliant red standing by the gates, eyes cast downward. He felt his heart skip a beat as his pace quickened; it was definitely Yukiko, and she appeared to have completely recovered. Souji felt relief wash through his body as he made his way through the crowd of groggy students to greet the dark haired girl.

Yukiko looked up and watched Souji squeeze through two students before returning her eyes back to the asphalt. She hadn't had any idea what she was going to talk to Souji about when she had decided in the morning to wait for him by the school gates, and as Souji approached her she felt her face grow redder and redder. This boy had seen all of her inner thoughts, and on top of that had rescued her from certain death. She wasn't sure how she should approach him, but she figured that if she waited at the front gate for him, she could see his reaction and let him take the initiative.

"O-oh… good morning," she squeaked as Souji came to a stop in front of her.

"Mornin' Yukiko," the gray haired boy replied cheerfully. "Are you feeling better?"

Yukiko's heart fluttered slightly as she replied, "Y-yeah… I'll be coming to school again, so… that'll be nice." Souji's eyes met her own, and for an instant she could see worry reflected in light gray. She cast her eyes down to the floor again, unable to return his gaze.

"I caused everyone some real trouble… I'm sorry," she muttered darkly. Before Souji could open his mouth to reply though, she shook her head and looked up, this time with renewed confidence.

"No, 'sorry' isn't quite right… what I mean to say is, thank you."

Souji could feel cheerfulness crawling its way back into Yukiko's voice, and he could only simply nod back with a smile. The worry that had burdened him the past few days finally lifted- Yukiko was safe and sound, and that was all that mattered.

"My mother's back to work already. The maids are being really supportive, and I think things are going even smoother than before." Yukiko bit her lip as she thought aloud, "I wonder if I was trying too hard… I may have been caught up in the idea that I had to do everything myself. But ever since the incident… I feel like I can think about these things more calmly."

She smiled, and again felt her cheeks redden. "But it's still kind of embarrassing... you guys saw everything, even the things I didn't want to admit…"

Souji shook his head. "Don't worry about it. After you faced yourself, after you acknowledged the feelings inside of you… I think that you've already begun to change. Your Persona is proof of that."

Yukiko nodded and beamed at Souji. "I'd like to believe that."

"Yukiko!" a voice called out.

Yukiko looked away from Souji toward the source of the caller. "Oh, it's Chie."

Chie motioned for Yukiko to come over before shifting her attention to Souji. "Souji! Let's all meet up after school okay?"

"Well, I'll talk to you later," Yukiko said, as she hurried toward an anxious Chie.

Yukiko was back, and as energetic as ever. Souji watched as the two girls chatted excitedly before entering the school.

It was a good thing he was able to save her.


	4. 5172011

The hot sun beat down on Souji as he stood outside, pacing back and forth at the entrance of the Tatsuhime Shrine, occasionally taking a peek around the corner to survey the Tatsumi textile shop. Chie and Yosuke had paired off and decided to tail Kanji and the strange boy who had asked to see him, leaving the dull task of watching the shop to him and Yukiko. Yukiko had gone off to buy some drinks, so for the time being, Souji was by himself.

They had watched the Midnight Channel a night before, and were certain that the silhouette that appeared was that of Kanji's. And if their prediction was correct as it was with Yukiko, Kanji would be the murderer's next target. Still, Souji found it a bit unnecessary for Chie and Yosuke to follow Kanji around during the day. Kanji was rumored to have beaten up an entire biker gang by himself, so Souji was positive that the culprit wouldn't be able to catch Kanji off guard in broad daylight. The best method of assuring his safety would have been for all four of them to patrol around the shop with Kanji inside, but realistically speaking, keeping Kanji bottled up in the textile shop for days just simply wouldn't be possible. Splitting up and having a pair tail Kanji while the other pair watched the shop was ultimately the most efficient method they could think of. If they were to leave Kanji out of their sight for even a second, he would likely end up in the TV world the next, leaving them none the wiser to the culprit's methods and identity.

"Sorry for the wait!" Yukiko called out, startling Souji from his crouching position. "This one's for you," she said, handing Souji a blue can of TaP soda.

"Don't scare me like that…" Souji mumbled, getting to his feet and gratefully accepting the drink. Beads of sweat stained his forehead, and he was relieved to have something to help him cool off. Yukiko chuckled lightly before turning her attention to the beverage in her hands.

"Everything seems fine at the shop. I hope it stays that way…" she reported. She took a small sip of her drink before looking up again. "Do you think the culprit will come?"

"I'm sure of it," Souji replied confidently. He took another swig of soda, a small dribble of the drink running down his chin. "I'm positive that the person we saw on the Midnight Channel was Kanji, so the culprit will definitely come looking for him."

"Then we need to keep our eyes open!" Yukiko paused slightly before deciding to continue with the rest of her thoughts. "It would be scary if the culprit did show up. But if they do, I'll do what I can to help you catch them," she stated, a look of indignation burning in her eyes. Souji was surprised by her sudden fervor- she was showing him sides of herself that he never thought existed, a far cry from the quiet and gloomy girl he had met the first day of school.

"You all saved my life, I don't want to be the only one doing nothing. I mean, I'm sure there's something I can do…" she trailed off.

Souji stared off at the textile shop, unsure how to respond. Yukiko was already a part of their investigation team, yet she still felt that she needed to do more. Was it because she still felt bad about what they went through when she was kidnapped? In any case, the problem was that there really was no way for Yukiko to do more for the team- they simply didn't have enough information to make any moves, and for the time being, keeping an eye on Kanji was their top priority. Yukiko's intentions were good, but Souji didn't want her to worry herself over nothing; being a part of their team was good enough for him.

Yukiko waited for Souji to reply, but seconds passed without any word. Souji wasn't normally very talkative, but the short-lived conversation only served to make her more insecure about her ability to chat with boys her age. Did he think she was annoying? Was what she said to him just not that interesting? She stole a peek at Souji's face as he gazed down the street of the Central Shopping District, trying to discern what he was thinking, but suddenly found herself noting the way the light carved his soft features from the shadows, and the way his gray hair shimmered as a pool of white under the sun.

"Oh, sorry. I went on and on without realizing… I-I guess I'm a little nervous," she stammered abruptly, hoping that Souji hadn't noticed her gawking at him. She had never been so caught up staring at a boy before… what was wrong with her?

Souji turned around, somewhat dazed. He had been so absorbed in his own thoughts that he had almost forgotten Yukiko was beside him.

"Hm?"

"I've never chatted with a boy my age like this before," she admitted. "Chie, of course, has no trouble getting along with guys because of her personality… But I think she's had more fun hanging out with you and Yosuke lately."

"… the same is true for me," she finished, with a small awkward laugh.

Souji's eyes flickered wide as he observed the dark haired girl, who was now blushing heavily. He had thought Yukiko was jealous that Chie was spending more time with him and Yosuke than she did with her, but he was happy to hear that Yukiko enjoyed being around them, too. Then again, it was only recently that he had witnessed one of Yukiko's laughing fits, something which Chie had claimed only happened around her. Maybe Yukiko truly was warming up to him and Yosuke.

"I'm glad to hear that," he said, smiling at the blushing girl who managed to return a shy grin back.

"I've seen you talk to boys before though," Souji stated, getting to his feet. He wiped his pants down and picked up his drink before resuming. "You seem pretty comfortable when talking to them."

Yukiko shook her head ardently. "I can talk to them fine, but I've never had a real conversation with them. Most of the boys I've ever talked with are ones that just come up to me and ask me to go somewhere with them."

"You mean they asked you out on a date?"

"...Huh? Is that what that was?"

Souji raised an eyebrow at Yukiko, uncertain whether or not she was being serious. "Nevermind," Souji said quickly, noting the quizzical expression clouding over her face. "What about when you were younger? Did you talk to any boys then?"

"Hm… I guess Kanji-kun was the only one I really talked to," she said slowly. "Remember when I told you that our inn had been customers of the textile shop for years? I used to talk to Kanji-kun back then when my mother would take me there to pick up our orders. He was always going on about sewing and showing me these cute little dolls he would make. I wonder what happened to him… he's a completely different person now from the Kanji I used to know."

The image of a boy like Kanji happily crafting dolls was indeed an odd one. Souji took a few deep breaths, trying to keep his laughter from exploding in Yukiko's face.

"But that's all the more reason for me to protect him," Yukiko vowed, her sudden determination snapping Souji out of his glee. "He's a childhood friend… I won't let the culprit take him!"

Yukiko looked up at Souji, her eyes once again filled with righteous anger. Souji could sense her resolve; she was undeniably serious about the case. He quelled the laughter inside of him and nodded in reply. "You're right. We won't let the culprit take him."

"Oh, that reminds me. Can I get your cell phone number?" Souji asked, reaching into his pocket for his cell phone.

"Huh? O-okay, if you want," Yukiko stuttered, slowly reaching for her own phone. Souji was probably the first boy to ever ask her straight out for her phone number, and it sent her heart racing. "I can't always answer since I help out around the inn… But feel free to call anytime," she said, glowing.

The two exchanged contact information and chatted a bit longer before spotting Chie and Yosuke approaching from a distance, heads hung low.

"We regret to inform… that our mission failed," Chie apologized, hands held together in front of her face.

"There was nowhere to hide," Yosuke added lamely.

"Well… let's wait here a little longer. Maybe Kanji-kun will come home," Yukiko suggested.

* * *

"Huh? Strange…?"

Souji could tell from Kanji's tone of voice that whatever Yosuke had said to him had not set right. Souji felt his heart hammering in his chest and his legs tensing up as he prepared to take off the moment Kanji showed any sign of aggression.

"What's this 'strange' stuff, huh!? Are you saying that I'm strange!?" he yelled.

Yosuke seemed caught off guard by Kanji's illogical reasoning. He took a small step back and an extra second to think before attempting to defend himself. "Huh? N-no, I didn't mean- !"

Kanji, however, wouldn't hear any of it. "You shitheads better get the hell out of my face, or I'm taking you down!"

"Wha-!? Wait, why!?" Yosuke demanded, still confused by the irrational conclusion that Kanji had jumped to. Souji knew that no amount of reasoning could pacify Kanji right now, and he began slowly inching his way further and further away from him. Beside himself, he could feel Yukiko doing the same.

"I look like I'm joking!?" Kanji shouted, his voice cracking with anger as he swung his arm through the air.

That was all Souji needed. His legs began to move themselves, and suddenly he was running. He looked behind him and saw Kanji giving chase as the remaining three members of the investigation team ran for their lives. A loud thud echoed throughout the district as Yosuke ran straight into the side of a building in panic, then corrected his course and began following frantically in Souji's direction. Kanji had come to a stop, and only glared at them as they scurried down the street.

"Urgh… too much running…" was the first thing Chie had managed to say as soon as they had judged themselves to be a safe distance away from Kanji. The Central Shopping District was relatively empty at this time; the only noise that filled the air was the heavy panting of the four teenagers.

"Well, nothing happened today, so I guess everything's okay…" Yosuke stated in between breaths. "But it's already been a few days since he appeared on the Midnight Channel. If this is anything like Yukiko's case, it'll happen soon."

Yukiko nodded. "Then we can't let our guard down… I think we should come back tomorrow and check up on him."

"Looks like we've got no choice," Chie grumbled. She sighed as the possibility of more running the next day sank in. "Let's go home. I'm wiped…"

"Oh! I need to go to Yomenaido first before I head back to the inn," Yukiko piped. "Could you come with me Souji? I won't be long."

"Sure, it's on my way home anyway" Souji replied. He wasn't sure what Yukiko needed, but he still felt a bit jittery after his escape from Kanji, and could definitely use some downtime to relax before returning home. After waving goodbye to Chie and Yosuke, he followed Yukiko down to the local bookstore, where she sifted through aisles of books and magazines, eyes anxiously darting from left to right.

"What're you looking for?" Souji asked. His eyes scanned the bookshelves, and lingered over a copy of A Great Man. He had heard of this particular title before, a part of The Man's Life series, and it was rumored to bolster the courage of even the most timid of readers. Souji went over to the book and grabbed it off the shelf, opening it and perusing its contents.

"Um… it's… Oh! Here it is!" Yukiko cried, appearing from behind a stack of books with a rather largely bound book cradled in her arms.

After Yukiko paid for her book, Souji decided to purchase a copy of A Great Man to read at home before bedtime. From the few pages that he had skimmed, he could feel his blood boiling with excitement and suspense- it was really a fascinating read. Book in hand, Souji walked out of the store and watched as Yukiko turned her own book over, reading the contents listed on the back label. In large bold letters, Souji could make out the words "job certifications".

"Thank goodness. That was the last one. Sensei recommended this book to me because it has details on a bunch of different job licenses."

"Sensei?"

"The career counselor. I ask him for advice sometimes," Yukiko replied. Souji could tell from her furrowed brow and plain tone of voice that she was thinking over something quite intently.

Yukiko opened her mouth and began speaking slowly, carefully choosing her words to clarify her situation. "Inside the TV… the "other me" said she didn't want to inherit the inn… I think… those were my true feelings. So I've decided to be a little more true to myself."

Her grip tightened over the book as she suddenly exclaimed, "I… I refuse to inherit the Amagi Inn!"

Her sudden outburst had surprised Souji, but he was even more surprised to hear what she had admitted. All that managed to escape from his lips was a tiny gasp.

"When I graduate… I'm leaving this town!" Yukiko was speaking quite loudly now, clearly indifferent to her surroundings. A few loitering shoppers turned to stare as they walked by.

"H-huh?" Souji squawked, somewhat at a loss. Yukiko's unexpected decision to reveal her future plans to him was a bit startling, not to mention the fact that she was practically shouting at him. But suddenly she was laughing, and Souji found himself amused as well. She was an odd girl for sure, but Souji enjoyed her company.

"…I said it. I said it!" she declared in between laughs. It was as if the weight of the world were lifted off her shoulders as she threw her head back and let out another chuckle.

As soon as she had calmed down, she spoke up again. "So in order to live on my own, I'm thinking of getting a job license. I was thinking something along the lines of an interior decorator… What do you think?"

Souji looked at her and nodded slightly. "If that's what you really want to do… then that sounds good."

"It's cool isn't it?" Yukiko agreed, waving her hand enthusiastically. "But it's hard. It costs money to get a license… And of course I can't tell Mother… If only there was a part-time job I could do discreetly…" Yukiko mumbled, pursing her lips as she mentally sorted through her options.

Souji recalled his own part-time job, folding envelopes and then sending them in for cash. That seemed simple enough- envelopes were easy to make and they could be effortlessly hidden. "There are part-time jobs posted on the bulletin board by Aiya's. Maybe you could try out folding envelopes," Souji recommended, pointing over in the diner's general direction.

"Really? I'll go check the board then!" Yukiko tucked her new book under her arm and set off toward the bulletin board, stopping after a few feet and turning back to face Souji . The sun was setting behind her; the burning sky outlined her dark silhouette, a stark contrast of light and shadow.

"Thank you for keeping me company today. I was a bit nervous when I told you how I felt, but… now that I did, I feel much better. "

"You're welcome."

"You're… the first boy I've ever talked to like this… I feel like I'm a different person when I'm around you, Souji."

Souji couldn't tell, but the color of her cheeks had become the same hue of red as the sky behind her.

"I'll see you later!" she said, quickly turning around and heading for the bulletin board, leaving a somewhat stunned Souji behind.

* * *

Chie and Yosuke watched as Souji walked off toward the bookstore, trailing Yukiko.

"So… would you like me to walk you home?" Yosuke asked, a hint of hopefulness in his voice.

"You know Yosuke, when you told me earlier that Souji might be hitting on Yukiko, you were joking weren't you?" Chie pondered, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.

"Huh? Oh…o-of course I was …"

Chie crossed her arms as she brought a finger up to her lip in thought. "Hmm… Yukiko normally would have asked me to go to Yomenaido with her… she seems to be getting along pretty well with Souji…"

Her hands dropped back down and rested upon her hips as she turned to Yosuke. "Are you sure Souji's not interested in Yukiko?"

"I-I already told you! We don't talk about that kinda stuff!" Yosuke blurted. "I'm gonna head home now," he added hastily, noticing the doubtful expression on Chie's face.

_He better give me the lowdown tonight_, Yosuke thought sullenly as he darted off, leaving a somewhat stunned Chie behind.


	5. 6182011

**A/N: Sorry for the slow update! I've been a bit busy lately and haven't been feeling very motivated to write. In any case, I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing so far, as it really helps knowing that some people enjoy reading this.**

**A small point that some reviewers brought up that I'd like to address is how closely I stick to the game and the text. Souji and Yukiko's relationship really takes off from the time that Souji saves her from the TV World, but the game never actually fully explores this, since the player can choose to date any or all of the girls. Because only the start of Souji and Yukiko's relationship is actually in the game, I decided to follow those events closely to first establish their relationship before writing my own scenes.**

**I'll still be using some in-game text to reference progress in the game's timeline as well as integrating some social links into the story, but for the most part, I'll be steering this story away from being just a transcript of the game. Hopefully you'll enjoy my take on Souji, Yukiko, and everything in between.**

**As always, I appreciate all reviews. Drop a comment if you like what you read!**

* * *

"_I was just thinking of practicing my cooking… Since I've decided to leave town… eating out all the time is bad for you right? So I'm going to get some practice while I can!"_

"_Good luck," Souji said. _

"_Thank you!" the raven haired girl replied, a heartfelt smile on her face._

"_Oh yes," she added, "I was thinking that maybe you could taste-test my food sometime… I want someone to eat it and let me know how it is. I thought I'd improve quicker that way… and knowing you, I'd get an honest opinion…"_

_Souji looked at her, somewhat incredulous. Getting to eat some of her home-made food sounded good, but if she was so insecure about her own food's taste that she needed someone else to taste it…_

"_W-will you?" she asked nervously._

"_I don't mind," Souji stated nonchalantly. _

_He shrugged off his own doubts as the girl thanked him. After all, her parents were the owners of the famous Amagi Inn, where some of Inaba's finest dishes were served- surely the head chef had taught her a thing or two._

_Besides, what was the worst thing that could happen?_

_

* * *

_

Souji sneezed as a shiver ran down his spine. He bundled his arms tighter to his body, but the chill persisted. He wished he had brought a heavier jacket to the school campout, but there was no way he could have predicted the crazy chain of events that had transpired earlier in the day.

"Come on guys, we're sorry...!"

"First Mystery Food X… and now this… you girls really have a way with things you know that?"

"You and Souji were talking about us like a bunch of perverted old men! What were we supposed to do!?" Chie retorted.

"Not push us into the river!? Geez, and on top of that we had to swim in King Moron's…" Yosuke broke off, unable to finish his sentence.

Kanji let out a loud sneeze, causing everyone to jump. "'Scuse me," he sniffled.

"Ugh… I need to go to Junes and pick up some aspirin. I know I'm gonna need it tonight." Yosuke mumbled, his voice suddenly thick.

"I'll go with you then!" Chie chirped. "It's the least I can do."

"You could at least pay for the bottle of aspirin! It's your fault that I'm getting sick in the first place!"

"No way! You can go by yourself then!"

Yosuke opened his mouth for a second, but no words came out. He let out a sigh before admitting defeating. "Fine. Let's go then." He turned to the rest of the group. "I'll see you guys Monday, if I'm not lying on my deathbed."

Souji, Kanji, and Yukiko watched as the duo departed from their group toward Junes, bickering until they were out of sight.

"So… are Chie-senpai and Yosuke-senpai lovebirds or what? 'Cuz that's what Yosuke-senpai told me when they were following me around," Kanji observed.

"Um… it's complicated," Yukiko admitted. "I'm not exactly sure myself."

The three continued walking quietly, the silence broken only by the occasional sniffle or sneeze. The atmosphere was tense, and Yukiko felt as if both boys were blaming her for everything. She dropped her gaze to the ground, two pairs of shoes moving back and forth at the top of her peripheral vision. Of course, it _was_ partially her fault. Chie had offered to reconcile with Yosuke by accompanying him to Junes, so maybe she could do something for Kanji and Souji too…

"I'm starving…" Souji groaned, his stomach growling in agreement. "I haven't eaten in nearly a day…"

Suddenly, Yukiko's eyes lit up. "Oh! What if I make you guys boxed lunches?"

"H-huh? Why?" Kanji asked, wide-eyed, turning his head to the side to get a better look at the girl trailing behind him.

"Well… I feel bad about what happened this morning. I want to make it up to you two."

Souji reeled mentally as Yukiko mentioned herself cooking. He could almost feel the taste of Mystery Food X crawling back onto his tongue. Beads of sweat began forming on his forehead as he turned to face Yukiko. "A-are you sure… about… cooking?" Souji asked carefully.

"H-huh? O-of course I am! The curry from the campout… i-it was mostly Chie's doing," she stammered, giving an awkward laugh.

"If it's just Yukiko-senpai, then I'm cool with that!" Kanji declared, a tinge of pink forming on his cheeks.

"Thank you!" Yukiko said, smiling. Souji, however, eyed her uncertainly- he was positive that he had seen both Yukiko and Chie huddled around the pot at the campout, and was even more certain that he had seen Yukiko add ingredients. If it was truly Chie's fault, why didn't Yukiko stop her? And if Yukiko was involved, why was the result Mystery Food X? Something wasn't adding up…

"How about it, Souji?" she asked. Souji looked up, realizing now that both she and Kanji were looking at him expectantly.

Souji could feel his stomach grumble yet again, and it felt as if a hole were being carved through him. "S-sure, that sounds good," he said finally, giving in to his hunger.

"Okay! You two should go home first and wash up! I'll let you know when I'm on my way," Yukiko said excitedly, running off toward the nearest bus stop.

"Yukiko-senpai's cooking huh?" Kanji mused, "I can't wait!"

Souji felt a bit more lighthearted seeing Kanji so upbeat. Yukiko's cooking couldn't possibly be that bad… Mystery Food X had to have been some kind of cruel prank.

* * *

Kanji and Souji sat under the gazebo in the flood plain and chatted quietly, the rooftop providing shade from the overbearing sun above. Yukiko had called them earlier asking them to meet her here, so the two had been talking for nearly half an hour before Yukiko finally showed up.

"Sorry for the wait!" Yukiko called out as she approached the two boys sitting in the gazebo, a boxed lunch in each hand.

"About time! I'm starvin'!" Kanji shouted, leaping to his feet.

Souji followed suit, slowly easing himself out of his seat and making his way toward the source of the aroma that hung in the air. Yukiko handed Kanji the lunch in her right hand, then to Souji the one in her left. The trio marched back to the gazebo, where they set their lunches down onto the table.

Kanji was the first to pry his open, as three pairs of eyes quickly looked over its contents. There was a neatly packed portion of rice, three slices of grilled fish, a variety of vegetables, and what appeared to be tofu in the remaining compartment.

"Mmm! This looks good Yukiko-senpai!" Kanji said, prying apart a pair of chopsticks before digging in.

Souji watched carefully as Kanji took his first bite, scouring his face for any odd reactions. When Kanji continued shoveling food into his mouth without a word though, Souji could no longer resist the temptation. He quickly turned toward the meal Yukiko had handed him, and began opening it when Yukiko abruptly spoke up.

"Um, just so you guys know… I only made one of the boxed lunches," she admitted hesitantly. "I wasn't even halfway done with the first one after an hour, so the head chef interfered and insisted that he help me speed things up by making one himself."

Souji lifted the lid, and suddenly, he felt his stomach churn over as an unusually pungent smell found its way to his nostrils. He clenched his teeth and forced himself to look down at the boxed lunch he was certain Yukiko had prepared. He took another whiff of the strange odor, almost in disbelief that he was having seconds of Mystery Food X. Eyes watering, he looked over at Yukiko, who looked back at him keenly, a small smile on her face.

"Go ahead!" she encouraged.

Normally, he would have tossed the food immediately, but between hurting Yukiko's feelings and damaging his taste buds, Souji felt that he could at least do Yukiko a favor and taste test her cooking, as he had agreed to do a few days ago. Dropping his gaze back down to the meal, he began scrutinizing its contents, scanning for the most edible looking piece. After a minute's quandary, Souji decided on a slightly burnt, yellowish looking object. Giving it a sniff, he concluded that the thing was an omelette of sorts. Souji looked over at Yukiko again, who gave him a reassuring smile, before opening his mouth and placing the omelette-looking thing inside.

As his teeth grinded the anomaly, he was surprised to find that the texture was actually soft, which was a bit of an oddity given how overcooked it had looked. Souji continued chewing some more, taking in the distinctive flavor that was both raw yet burnt, then let out a yelp of pain as his molars crashed onto something a bit too hard. Both Yukiko and Kanji looked on anxiously as the gray haired boy struggled to chew the object- he wasn't sure what it was, but he was sure he didn't want to find out. Finally the rigid thing gave way, and Souji's eyebrows disappeared under his bangs as a flood of sweetness suddenly interrupted the constant bitter saltiness that had governed his taste buds for the past few seconds. The combination was… revolting to say the least.

Yukiko noted Souji's pained expression as he finally managed to swallow her omelette, and sighed to herself, disappointed. "…you're not about to tell me how delicious that was, are you?" she asked bitterly.

The two boys stole a glance at each other before Kanji piped up, "C'mon Yukiko-senpai, there's always next time!"

Yukiko was somewhat surprised by the younger boy's sudden support, but she replied glowingly. "I-I suppose… thank you," she said, as Kanji looked downward and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Would you like to try some too, Kanji-kun?"

"What!?" he yelped, glancing over discretely at Souji for help, but received only a quizzical shrug in return. "I… I think my ma's calling for me!" he yelled, standing up and running off before the raven haired girl could say anything in response.

"Kanji-kun must have very good hearing… I didn't hear anything…" she remarked, eyebrows arched in surprise.

Souji sighed inwardly as Kanji disappeared over the horizon, relieved that Kanji was thoughtful enough to spare Yukiko's feelings. Souji's eyes settled upon Yukiko's face, which was plastered with a puzzled expression, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders and shimmering under the shade like a running stream, and mulled over what exactly it was about her that he seemed so drawn to. He certainly found her naivety and humor endearing, but he also found himself fascinated by her strength and compassion, and her ability to oscillate between the two traits seamlessly. She often surprised him with her indignant conviction, a sharp contrast to her normally calm and reserved demeanor.

"I guess I should be honest with you, Souji… and myself," Yukiko mumbled darkly, snapping Souji out of his thoughts, "I… helped Chie with the curry yesterday."

"I-it wasn't on purpose though!" she sputtered, quickly defending herself. "I just didn't think my cooking would be so bad. I wanted to prove to myself today that I could make something edible for you… but I just failed again… I'm sorry Souji…" she murmured apologetically.

"It's okay," he replied solemnly, "It was better than the curry…"

"But that's because Chie helped with that," Yukiko said, the corners of her lips pulled slightly upward.

Souji let out a chuckle and smiled at her, pleased to see she wasn't beating herself up over her failed boxed lunch; Yukiko beamed back, her lips split apart in a toothy grin. Their eyes met, a clash of black and gray, a mix of warmth and affection, and hours seemed to pass without any word.

Suddenly, Souji's stomach let out a loud growl as he clutched his stomach in surprise. He had forgotten how hungry he was after eating the omelette- it had done a fairly good job of taking away his appetite.

Yukiko went red as she spoke. "Oh… you still haven't eaten yet huh? I guess that's kind of my fault…" She paused briefly as her eyebrows creased in thought. "How about we go to Aiya's? It'll be my treat!"

"That sounds good," Souji agreed eagerly, rising out of his seat with the remains of the boxed lunches in his hands.

The two continued chatting as they made their way toward the Central Shopping District, divulging in each other their thoughts on friends, school, and everyday life in Inaba. They passed a trash can, where Souji bundled up the remains of Yukiko's mystery food before tossing it in.

"Next time, I'll cook," he said, looking at Yukiko with a slight smirk.

Yukiko glowed slightly pink, but she nodded feverishly in agreement as she and Souji returned to their conversation, walking side by side and shoulder to shoulder, a smile on their faces.


	6. 7132011

A muffled thud echoed throughout a hallway of the Amagi Inn as a girl in a light pink kimono fell forward onto her bed, closing her eyes and letting out a loud sigh of relief as her long raven hair fell around her shoulders. It had been a very busy day at the inn, and with the increasing amount of room reservations being made for the approaching summer season, it seemed as if the pile of work to do just kept growing larger. She had hardly gotten any sleep the past week, and hadn't had the time to hang out with her friends as much as she would have liked.

The time she did find to spend with her friends had been spent fighting shadows and searching for teen idol Rise Kujikawa in the depths of the TV world. The labyrinth that Rise's mind had created was… exotically decorated to say the least. Like herself, Rise had also denied the existence of her shadow, and the party found itself battling against the manifestation of Rise's darkest feelings. The shadow had almost defeated them, but it was Teddie who came to their rescue at the last minute, fending off the shadow and saving the group from certain death. Even more shocking than Teddie's display of newfound power was the sudden appearance of his own shadow, a much darker and malignant Teddie. However, with Rise's support, the group was revitalized and shadow Teddie fell quickly to their barrage, adding two new Persona users to the team.

Yukiko Amagi frowned slightly, reflecting on the murder case that she and her friends had secretly taken up to solve. It had been more than three months since she had joined Souji, Yosuke, and Chie in their efforts and since then, three more had joined, but they had found no new clues, leaving the group at square one. They knew for certain that the killer murdered people by throwing them into the TV world, where the victim's own shadow would eventually kill them. After the death of Saki Konishi, they had been successful in predicting and rescuing each successive victim until the murder of their own homeroom teacher just days ago, Mr. Morooka. Morooka's death presented a conundrum- unlike previous victims, he had not appeared on the Midnight Channel before being sensed by Teddie in the TV world. Were the previous connections just a coincidence? Did the Midnight Channel have anything to do with the case at all?

The chirping of her cell phone snapped her out of her thoughts as she reluctantly opened her eyes with a groan, rolling over to the edge of her bed in order to pick it up. Her eyes settled on the phone's display screen, lighting up as the name Souji Seta displayed itself in blinking text.

She had become much closer to the gray haired boy after the Mystery Food X incident and their lively dinner at Aiya's. She was surprised how easy and natural talking with him seemed, and she found herself conversing with him at school more and more each day, sometimes even eating lunch together with him on the school roof. She would also study with him from time to time, as she found his knowledge both bountiful and impressive, and he was able to explain things she didn't understand in a simple manner. It was no surprise that he had managed to score at the top of the class in the previous exam.

Yukiko flipped her phone open before eagerly pressing it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey Yukiko," Souji started, as she reciprocated his greeting, "Chie told me you were having a pretty rough week. Is everything okay?"

"Yes… thank you for asking. The inn's always busy around this time of the year…it's been a bit hectic lately, but I'll manage."

"That's good to hear. I was a bit worried that you might be overworking yourself helping us with Rise too."

"I'm fine, really," Yukiko insisted, shaking her head nonchalantly, "Besides, there's no way that I'd ever let you all go without me, tired or not… I'd feel even worse if I weren't there supporting everyone."

Souji gave a small laugh before replying, "Ah, are you busy tomorrow? The exam is coming up soon, so I was wondering if you wanted to get together and study."

"Oh! That's right… the test is next week isn't it?" Yukiko pondered aloud, biting her lower lip as she thought about the material the exam would cover. "…that sounds like a good idea," she decided, realizing that she hadn't been able to study much recently either.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then."

After they bid each other farewell, Yukiko returned her cell phone to the table by her bed and rolled back to the center, closing her eyes with a content smile.

* * *

It was lunch time at Yasogami High as Souji made his way up to the rooftop with last night's prepared meal tucked under his arm. He had invited Rise to eat with him, since she still didn't seem very comfortable around other students outside of the investigation team. He couldn't blame her though- other students would often gawk at her and whisper to each other as she passed them in the hallways, so Souji reasoned that he should try to spend some more time with her until the novelty of a celebrity attending Yasogami High had died down.

There was a loud clang as the door to the rooftop swerved open, a bubbly squeal ringing out, "Hey Senpai!"

Souji looked up, seeing none other than the bright eyed teen idol. It was odd seeing Rise in a school uniform, but she still looked as stunning as she did on TV, with a genuine cheerful smile and auburn hair tied in a pair of pigtails, draping her slender frame.

"'Sup Senpai," another voice drawled, as Kanji appeared from behind the doorway as well.

"Rise, Kanji, how are you?" he greeted.

"Not so great," Rise mumbled, "The exam is coming up soon and I still don't get a lot of things… Why do we need to memorize all of this stuff anyway?"

"Tch… exams are a waste of time," Kanji agreed.

Souji chuckled softly as he motioned to the empty space beside him, beckoning for Rise and Kanji to sit by him.

"Did you eat already, Kanji?" Souji asked, pulling out his lunch and handing Rise another serving he had prepared.

"Uh… I was hoping I could share some of yours, Senpai. Rise told me that she was having lunch with you today, and Yukiko-senpai said that you're a great cook."

"Oh? You've been up here with just Yukiko-senpai before?" Rise remarked, smirking as Souji shook his head sheepishly. "Here! You can have some of mine Kanji!" the teen idol piped, holding out her meal, "I can't eat this much anyway."

"Oh, Senpai," Rise continued, as Kanji snatched her lunch out of her hand and began devouring it greedily, "Could you help me study later? I bet you're a great teacher," she purred, batting her eyelashes vivaciously.

"I'm studying with Yukiko today actually…" Souji said hesitantly, watching specks of rice fly through the air in the corner of his eye. He had a feeling what was coming next.

"Aww… please Senpai? Yukiko-senpai is so smart! No matter how long or hard I study, I can never understand anything on my own!" she wailed, "Help me please, please, _please_?"

"Gah!" Kanji groaned, wincing, "Do you have to be so damn loud? 'Senpai's gotta study too, ya know?"

"B-but…" Rise sobbed, her lower lip trembling.

Souji looked down at his empty lunch box, a few stray grains of rice loitering on the sides. Rise _did_ have a point- on the last exam, Yukiko had placed just below him; Rise would benefit infinitely more from studying with him than Yukiko would. Souji sighed in exasperation, gazing up at fluffy white clouds that drifted by lazily. It looked like he would have to find another day to study with Yukiko- Rise's exam would probably cover different subjects, which would make it impossible for all three of them to study together without someone feeling left out. He was really looking forward to spending some time alone with Yukiko, but he could feel Rise was quite desperate for his help.

"… I'll help you," Souji agreed reluctantly.

"Yay! Thank you so much, Senpai!" Rise cheered, bobbing up and down happily, "Wanna come with, Kanji?"

"W-what? Hell no," the younger boy spat, "I-I've got more important things to do."

"Suit yourself," Rise shrugged, ignoring the slight shade of pink that had formed on Kanji's face as he looked away, "More Senpai for me!"

* * *

Yukiko glanced up at the clock, watching the minute hand make its return trip to the top. The monotonous ticking of the second hand seemed to grow louder and louder as time inched slowly forward. When the last bell of the school day finally rang, it wasn't a student who was out of the room first, but the new homeroom teacher Ms. Kashiwagi. Yukiko figured that she didn't like teaching very much- she had made it clear on several occasions that any female student prettier than her was to be labeled "jailbait", and spent much of class time constantly babbling on about her own looks.

Yukiko yawned and stretched, the noise in the classroom rising as other students began chattering excitedly with one another. She turned around in her seat to talk to Chie, as Souji and Yosuke trudged tiredly toward them.

"I really hate the week before exams," Chie pouted, "It's like an entire week of suspense we have to spend memorizing pointless facts! I just want to take the test and get it over with!"

"Whoa, calm down," Yosuke guffawed beside them, "You only scored fifty percent on the practice test we took yesterday- you'd definitely still fail."

"Well look who's talking, Mr. Thirty Percent," Chie retorted, brown eyes flashing.

Yukiko covered her mouth as her shoulders shook up and down, a stray giggle escaping from her lips. "Snrk…"

Yosuke immediately turned deep red, before sputtering, "S-shut up! I just couldn't concentrate yesterday without my lucky headphones!"

"Oh, is that so? Then how about we take another one today? Loser buys steak!"

"You're on!" Yosuke snarled, grabbing his book bag off of his table before storming out of the classroom.

"Later Yukiko, Souji!" Chie called, giving the two a small wink before disappearing after Yosuke.

No sooner had Chie closed the door than Rise burst into the classroom, a stack of books cradled in her arms. Yukiko gave a small wave to the younger girl and smiled as she came toward them.

"Hey Yukiko-senpai!" Rise said, returning a dazzling smile to Yukiko before turning her attention over to Souji. "Senpai, we'd better get going if we want to get a spot in the library!"

There was a long awkward pause as Yukiko looked back and forth between Rise and Souji, confusion etched on her face. Souji appeared rather introverted, and it looked as if he were trying to sink into the floor and disappear.

"…I thought we were studying today?" Yukiko asked finally, catching Souji's eye.

"…Rise had a lot of questions for me during lunch, so I thought I'd help her out… Sorry… I forgot to tell you earlier," the boy mumbled, looking just as befuddled as Yukiko.

"You can study with us, Yukiko-senpai!" Rise said, waving her hands enthusiastically.

Yukiko blinked and edged away from the two slightly. "O-oh, no… it's fine. I wouldn't want to be a bother…"

"Yukiko…" Souji began.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" she said quickly, standing up from her seat. With a slight bow, she turned around and bolted out of the classroom.

* * *

Yukiko plodded through the Central Shopping District, bitter tears snaking down her cheeks. She was foolish to think that a boy like Souji could ever have feelings for her. She was just a plain, ordinary girl, nothing compared to someone like Rise. Beautiful, charming, and outgoing- Rise had all of that; she was_ none _of that_._ Souji was the first boy she had ever fallen for; the memories of herself working up the courage to even talk with him and of hanging out with him seemed to embed themselves especially deep into her heart, wrenching fresh tears from her eyes. It seemed almost unfair for someone with more experience and glamour to snatch him away from her when they had grown so close.

As she continued uphill, the familiar red pillars of the Tatsuhime Shrine came into view. Yukiko stopped in her tracks, her head suddenly swimming with nostalgia. When she was younger, she would often find herself at the shrine, crying after something went wrong at home, or after a fight with Chie. Yukiko smiled sadly to herself as she approached the shrine, placing her hand on the aged weathered column as she peered in around the corner. She gave a tiny gasp of surprise as she spotted a very peculiar blond haired boy in a fancy dress shirt, yelling at a fox.

"Teddie?"

The blond immediately turned his head at the sound of his name, waddling over to her eagerly as he spotted her. "Yuki-chan!"

"Teddie! What are you doing outside? Shouldn't you be at Yosuke's house?"

"Allow me to ask you the same. What are _you_ doing here?"

"You know, you're supposed to answer my question first," Yukiko said, smiling weakly.

"Is something wrong with Yuki-chan?" Teddie questioned, peering closely at her face, "Your eyes and face are all red!"

Yukiko chuckled softly as she widened the space between herself and Teddie to an arm's length. "…You can tell, huh?" She rubbed her eyes before continuing, "… I'm sorry. I'm just a little… disappointed in Souji..."

"…Did something happen between you and Sensei?" the boy asked curiously, his bright blue eyes boring into Yukiko's own with unusual intensity as she nodded. His eyebrows creased in thought, and along with his slight frown, he had a rather livid expression. A few seconds passed in silence, Teddie bringing up his free hand to his chin in thought as the other scratched his now more defined behind. Yukiko involuntarily took a step back as Teddie suddenly raised his hand in the air, a finger pointed toward the sky.

"Yuki-chan! I have the solution!" he announced proudly, a wide smile on his face.

"S-solution…? To what?"

"Sensei is an amazing guy!"

Yukiko raised an eyebrow at the jovial blond, waiting for him to continue. When nothing followed however, she spoke up, "…and…?"

"And that's why I trust Sensei!"

"Teddie…I don't under-"

"Yuki-chan, you should trust Sensei too! From the first time I met him, I knew I could trust him! I've never once regretted that! I don't know what happened between you two, but I'm sure he has a good reason! He's never let any of us down before!"

Yukiko took in a deep breath as she considered Teddie's words, smiling warmly at the giddy boy after a brief moment. "You're right… he's always been there for all of us hasn't he? This time shouldn't be any different…Thank you Teddie…"

"That's correct! Sensei _bears _a lot of responsibility!" Teddie replied with a giggle, taking no notice of Yukiko rolling her eyes. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed in a rather seductive expression as he smirked at Yukiko, deepening his voice for extra sway power. "So Yuki-chan, now that that's over with, how about we-"

"…no thanks."

"Yuki-chan!" he gasped, "That's so cruel! I didn't even finish my sentence!"

"Oh! That reminds me, Teddie," Yukiko said, paying no heed to Teddie's complaining, "…Why were you yelling at that fox?"

Teddie suddenly went very still before turning back slowly to look at the offertory box, where a familiar orange fox with a red bib stared back at them, eyes gleaming. "Give Yosuke's- er, my money back!" Teddie yelled angrily, jumping forward in an attempt to pounce on the fox. "I was going to use that for Topsicles!" he fumed, as the fox leapt away. Yukiko giggled to herself, amused at the scene transpiring before her.

It wasn't long before Teddie hobbled out of the shrine, whimpering, a few new bite marks on his hands and no money in his pockets. He miserably waved goodbye before heading back to Yosuke's house, his fingertips throbbing in pain. The sun waned in the distance, a ball of orange half gone behind the distant mountains as Yukiko sat at the base of the temple's stairs, legs drawn close to her chest. Remnants of dried tears glimmered on her cheeks in the reddish hue of the sky as she closed her eyes, mulling over the day's events.

Teddie was right- Souji carried a heavy burden of responsibilities. Aside from leading the team, he had schoolwork, housework, part-time jobs, and on top of all that, had to find a way to balance spending time between Nanako and his friends. Yukiko suddenly felt a pang of guilt, realizing that it was herself who had probably taken up most of Souji's time the past month, and she felt even guiltier knowing that Souji had willingly done so, sacrificing his own free time to hang out with her. To think that she had been jealous of Rise was ludicrous; after all, Souji had been the one to call her last night, intent on studying with her. In retrospect, she had acted rashly. Instead of listening to his side of the story, she had assumed the worst and ran away, coming off as immature and childish.

Yukiko gritted her teeth as the truth sunk in, burying her head deeper into the groove between her knees. "I'm such an idiot…" she whispered, hearing the words echo in her ears.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Yukiko jerked her head up in shock, her heart skipping a beat as she craned her neck toward the voice, dark eyes quickly locking on to a pair of gray orbs.

"…Souji! …W-what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you of course," Souji replied coolly, striding over to where she sat and plopping himself onto the cold ground beside her.

"…I thought you and Rise-chan were studying?" Yukiko asked softly, bringing her head back down to rest her chin on her knees.

"Studying? We stopped after fifteen minutes… she told me to come find you, you know."

Yukiko smiled weakly in spite of herself and let out a choked laugh. _Rise-chan said that?_

Both of them looked out wordlessly into the main street of the Central Shopping District as a number of people walked by, all wrapped up in their own world and their own problems. As the last of the shoppers walked off, the only sound left around them was the rustling of leaves as they scraped the floor, nudged along by the gentle caress of the wind.

"…a TV crew came here looking for me the other day, when Kasai-san and I were paying our respects," Yukiko said quietly, "They said they wanted to do a show on our inn… they called it a cursed inn actually, only because Mayumi Yamano stayed there before she was murdered. Of course, I refused… but then they started pestering me instead, and then insulted the inn and my family…"

Souji frowned slightly, observing the expression on Yukiko's face as she trailed off. "Then what happened?"

Yukiko looked at Souji somewhat bashfully before murmuring, "…I told them to shut the hell up…"

"You _what_?" he asked, wide-eyed.

"I…I don't know what made me say it! I just kind of lost it when I heard them insulting my family and the inn… But I finally realized it then… what the inn means to me." She lifted her head up, dark eyes shimmering. "It's not just a cage where my life is run by someone else; it's like my home… it's where everyone in my world is… it's… where I belong."

Souji nodded approvingly before breaking into a wide smile. "You should've yelled at them some more!" he laughed, "I wish I could've seen that!"

Yukiko suddenly found herself laughing along with him. It was always like this around Souji- he could always find a reason for her to smile.

"I'm sorry for what happened earlier at school… I… don't know what came over me…" Yukiko admitted, standing up as she patted her skirt down.

"No… it's my fault for not telling you earlier. I wasn't too sure of the situation myself actually," Souji confessed, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly before continuing, "I was looking forward to hanging out with you, too."

"U-umm, I wanted to ask you this before… Wh-why…why are you always with me…?" she suddenly blurted, before quickly placing her hands over her mouth in embarrassment. She hadn't meant to ask such a personal question, but it had rolled off her tongue without thought after hearing Souji's heartfelt apology.

Souji said nothing, and only stared at her as she felt her cheeks grow warmer. "I-is it okay… for me to ask…?" she breathed through the cracks of her fingers.

Again, there was no reply. The gray haired boy remained where he was, his eyes still focused on Yukiko. The wind blew softly, whistling in their ears as leaves fell around them, painted red and orange from the soft glow of the fading sun, hair flowing lightly in the summer breeze, glimmering against the backdrop of the fiery sky.

"I really like you."

Souji's words reverberated in Yukiko's ears, and she simply stood in place, unsure if she had heard right. "Y…you like… m-me…?" she whispered weakly. Her face burned even redder as Souji nodded wordlessly, his lips stretched in a shy smile. She looked down at the floor quickly, eyes watery but returning Souji's smile, "Uh, ummm… I-I feel the same way… so…"

Yukiko slowly sank back down to the floor, one hand over her racing heart, the other holding herself upright. "I thought my heart was going to stop…" she said shakily.

"You're not the only one," Souji replied, grinning as he crouched down beside her.

The two sat by the entrance of the shrine and watched the yellows and reds of the sky give way to blues and grays. Echoes of voices emanated nearby from Aiya's, growing rowdier as more entered the restaurant. A brilliant glow pierced the blanket of dark sky as the first star of the night twinkled brightly above them. Souji placed a hand over Yukiko's, and their fingers intertwined, warmth radiating from their hands despite the cold. Yukiko looked to the Amagi Inn, illuminated in the distance by a myriad of tiny lights.

_And now I know what he means to me, too_, she thought, squeezing Souji's hand tightly as she leaned in to rest her head on his shoulder.

"Stay here with me… just a little longer…"

* * *

**A/N: I apologize for another extremely slow update. This chapter gave me a lot of trouble to write, but I think it came out well in the end. I try my best to avoid melodramatic scenes and cheesy lines, but that may work against me in future chapters.**

**In any case, please let me know what you thought of this chapter! Flames, critique, and praise are all welcome!**


	7. 8152011

Dark glass reflected a murky face as Souji Seta moved toward his window, looking out at the fog that had set in this morning. As usual, the fog was rather thick and nearly impossible to see through- Souji often felt quite downcast gazing over the dreary town under the fog, but today was different. He turned around and plopped down onto his couch, tuning in to the television as it broadcasted the morning news.

"… expelled student Mitsuo Kubo has yet to reveal any more information regarding his methods in the Inaba serial murder case. Police are continuing their investigation, but have yet to find any other incriminating evidence against him. We'll bring you more as the case develops. And now, for the weath-"

With a click, the screen went black. Souji leaned back in his seat and stretched, a content grunt escaping from his lips.

Mitsuo Kubo. The team had tracked him down in a video game-like dungeon after he had appeared on the Midnight Channel, taunting for them to find him. After a long grueling battle with Mitsuo's shadow however, rather than becoming a Persona like the rest of the team's shadows had, it simply disappeared. The team had questioned him to no avail before handing him over to police.

Souji pursed his lips as he creased his eyebrows in thought- Mitsuo _had_ admitted to committing the murders during their questioning, but several inconsistencies in the case seemed to pop up as Souji went through the details in his mind. The first glaring oddity was Mr. Morooka's absence from the Midnight Channel. Every other victim had appeared on the Midnight Channel before they were kidnapped, yet Mr. Morooka was the only one who was apparently captured then killed without any warning. Secondly, there was Mitsuo himself. Shadows, as Souji understood it, were people's repressed feelings given form. Rather than spew out these hidden feelings to mock him, Mitsuo's shadow had simply remained quiet, gazing at the boy with an almost aloof expression. Was there simply nothing that Mitsuo had to hide? Or was it a symbol of the abyss in his heart, his reason for killing?

No matter how hard Souji tried, he couldn't quite shake the itching feeling that something wasn't right with the outcome of the case. He wished he could simply just look away and forget everything and return to a normal life, spending time with friends and family after school rather than fighting for his life in another world. He wanted to enjoy his remaining time in Inaba, hanging out with the newfound friends he had grown so close to the past few months, and of course, spend time with Yukiko.

A smile found its way onto Souji's lips as his thoughts lingered on the dark haired girl named Yukiko- the girl who had seemed so reserved and distant when he first arrived in Inaba had become so much more affable and outgoing and was now sharing an intimate relationship with him. He found himself talking with her even more than before- when they couldn't chat in person, they talked on the phone, sometimes for hours on end about all kinds of things, ranging from the everyday mundane to Yosuke and Chie's most recent argument, with Yukiko bursting into laughing fits from time to time. Yukiko seemed much happier recently- Chie had pointed out to him that lately it was rare to see her without a smile on her face.

_Pi pi pi!_

Souji's heart gave a slight jump as he looked down at his table, picking up his phone and glancing at the caller ID before flipping it open.

"Hey."

"Hey, it's Yosuke. Sorry for dropping this on you all of a sudden, but I need a big favor. Can you work at Junes from today 'til Friday?"

"Starting today!?" Souji squawked, lifting himself from the couch and striding over to his calendar pinned on the wall.

There was a short pause before Yosuke began pleading. "We're short on staff! I'll pay you more than we usually pay our workers! I'll buy you lunch everyday at work too, I promise! Please, I'm begging you!"

Souji's eyes swept over the contents of his calendar, noting the lack of events during the month. This week was no different- it was summer break after all, and earning some extra money seemed like a good idea. "Okay, sounds good," Souji said, returning to his seat.

"Oh, sweet! You're awesome buddy! A real lifesaver!" Yosuke cried enthusiastically. "I'll be waiting at Junes, so I'll see ya soon!"

After Yosuke had hung up, Souji thought that it would be a good idea to call Yukiko to let her know that he'd be at Junes today. Leaning back into his seat, he quickly dialed Yukiko's number and pressed the phone to his ear. A few rings later, he was greeted by Yukiko's voicemail- it wasn't unusual for Yukiko to miss his calls, as she was usually helping out around the inn all throughout the day. Souji left her a short message before hanging up, then glanced at the clock and decided that he'd better not keep Yosuke waiting.

* * *

Before Souji knew it, it was already noon. The Junes food court was bustling with more activity than he had expected, and he found himself struggling to keep up with the number of orders that were being placed. Just a few feet away, Yosuke was doing the same, taking and serving orders. According to Yosuke, there was some kind of hero show taking place at Junes today, accounting for the sudden influx of people.

"Here you go Sensei! Order number 91 is ready!" Teddie announced, placing a cup of shaved ice onto the counter.

"Thanks Teddie," Souji said, trying to recall which table it belonged to.

"Welcome! We've got shaved ice here, with all your favorite flavors! Cheer on the heroes while enjoying a tasty snack of frosty shaved ice!"

That was Chie of course, standing at the corner of the food court, advertising to disinterested shoppers passing by.

"Man, I'm pooped," Yosuke sighed, "Wanna go on lunch break? I think the show's gonna be starting soon, so there'll be a lot less people coming in."

"Oh! You promised me lunch Yosuke!" Chie cried, jogging toward them now from across the food court.

"How is it you always manage to hear me when I'm talking about food?" Yosuke mumbled, "…Let me guess… you want the steak."

"Yup! I've been looking forward to it all day!" Chie said excitedly.

Yosuke rolled his eyes with a small chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief at Chie's meat obsession. "You want anything to eat Teddie? It'll be my treat."

"I'll have a mouth-watering appetizer of Chie-chan, a succulent main course of Yuki-chan, and a decadent dessert of Rise-chan." Teddie said, wiggling his eyebrows and ears at a rather repulsed Chie.

"… I've gotta stop letting him watch TV," Yosuke stated blandly, shaking his head, "Chie and I will have the steak, Teddie, and Souji will have the yakiniku."

"Coming right up!" Teddie declared, laying out strips of meat on top of the griddle.

"Ugh, it's so hot today!" Chie muttered, flapping the bottom of her tank top in an attempt to cool off as she pulled out a chair and plopped herself down.

Yosuke simply nodded in agreement, wiping his forehead with his sleeve before turning to watch Teddie prepare the group's meal. "Man, Teddie is really dedicated isn't he? I'm melting in this short-sleeved shirt, and he's wearing that huge costume, and he's standing in front of the griddle. How does he do it…?"

"We don't even know if he's human," Souji guessed, "His body might be different than ours."

"Hmm… you could be right," Yosuke replied, his stomach rumbling as the delicious aroma of their lunch reached his nose.

"Oh, it's Yukiko!" Chie piped suddenly, waving to a figure behind the two boys.

Souji got up out of his seat and walked over to greet the approaching raven haired girl, the two entering a light embrace as they met.

"Sorry I missed your call this morning… I was helping Kasai-san clean the hallways," Yukiko said, nestling her head closer to Souji's chest, "I got your message though."

"It's been a pretty busy day," Souji murmured, gazing into Yukiko's dark eyes.

Yukiko then broke their embrace, pushing herself off his chest and took a step back, surveying Souji up and down. "The Junes apron looks pretty good on you," Yukiko chortled, feeling the cloth between her slender fingers.

"It'll make anyone look good," Yosuke huffed, a smile creasing his face. "We're ready for you two to join us any time," he continued, gesturing to the empty seats beside himself and Chie.

"Oh! Sorry…" Yukiko mumbled, going quite red in the face. She quickly made her way around the table to where Chie sat, getting a few nudges in the shoulder from her best friend as she sat down.

"If you had told me at the beginning of the year that a new transfer student was going to take on the Amagi challenge and win Yukiko's heart, I would've called you crazy," Yosuke said.

"Amagi challenge?" Chie echoed.

"Well, Yukiko earned quite a reputation for shutting down every guy who's ever asked her out. It eventually became something of a competition between guys to see who could successfully ask her out first… and that became the Amagi challenge."

"Is it really that big of a deal? I don't see why guys would make such a fuss over it…"

"It's about a man's pride!" Yosuke said loudly, "I mean, I was totally crushed when Yukiko rejected me a few months back…"

Yukiko cocked an eyebrow at Yosuke, puzzled. "You asked me out before?"

"There you go again," Yosuke moaned, slapping a hand to his forehead, drawing chuckles from the other two members of the group.

"Well, the boys have Rise-chan to chase after now," Chie added.

"So… I guess it'll be the Kujikawa challenge now?" Yosuke asked weakly, "What kind of guy do you think she likes?"

"Food's ready!" Teddie shouted, "Oh! Yuki-chan's here!"

"Teddie! You're cooking?" Yukiko choked, surprised.

"He's actually pretty good at it," Yosuke said, rising out of his seat to pick up the group's meal as Teddie beamed at Yukiko from behind the griddle. Yukiko cast her eyes to the ground and mumbled something incomprehensible, though Souji thought he heard something about cooking and disappearing bears.

"…The Summer Festival's this Saturday isn't it?" Chie brought up thoughtfully. "We're all going right?"

"That's right!" Yukiko exclaimed, eyes lit with excitement, "I can't wait! This year's going to be so much fun! Hey, why don't you see if Nanako-chan wants to come with us, Souji?"

"That's a good idea," Souji said, nodding in agreement. He wondered if his uncle had ever taken Nanako to the Summer Festival before, and if she had ever worn a yukata. Nonetheless, he was sure that it would be a fun experience for her.

As Chie and Yukiko began discussing what color clothing they should wear to the festival, Yosuke returned with the group's meal. "Steak for me and Chie… and yakiniku for Souji," he stated, handing each dish to its appropriate owner.

"Let's eat!" Chie exclaimed, her conversation with Yukiko seemingly forgotten for more important matters.

"Have you eaten already, Yukiko?" Souji asked, gesturing to his meal invitingly, "We can share if you want."

"Mmm… that smells too good to say no… I'll just have a small bite," Yukiko replied, scooting her seat closer to the gray haired boy until her shoulder pressed up against his.

Souji teasingly held a bite of yakiniku in front of Yukiko's open mouth, pulling it back just as she leaned forward to take a bite. Beside her, Yosuke chuckled aloud, his laughter ringing out in the now empty food court. Yukiko playfully slapped Souji's arm, taking his chopsticks into her own hands with a sly grin. From across the table, Chie watched quietly, noting Yukiko's genuine smile and joy as she and Souji fought over possession of the chopsticks and the slice of meat in between, and smiled to herself as she returned her attention to her steak.

* * *

"We should couple up while we're here! It's the natural way of things!"

"Wh-what the hell are you babbling about!?" Kanji shouted.

It was hard to hear through the loud crowd of the festival with all the excited chattering and laughter and the sizzling of foods, but Souji was quite sure he and Kanji had heard Teddie correctly.

"I'm with Teddie!" Rise immediately chimed, and then upon noticing the surprised looks on her female Senpais' faces, she added, "C'mon, Senpai… why wear yukata in the first place? So we have memories we can remember fondly, right? So we should pair off right away!"

Yukiko and Chie glanced at each other briefly before Chie sighed and said, "Alright… Y-you guys decide how we'll split up."

"Huh? Seriously? It's up to us?" Yosuke asked, his voice slightly cracking, "A-alright..." he stuttered, motioning for the others to join him in deep discussion.

Yukiko watched as the four boys huddled together, with a sudden fervor and seriousness she had never seen before. Beside her, Chie tugged at the sleeves of her white yukata impatiently (or was it nervously?) while Rise hummed to herself as she watched a group of excited children run by.

"I wonder what they're planning to do… there's four of them and only three of us," Yukiko commented.

"Ooh, I hope Senpai chooses me!" Rise giggled, "Just for tonight though," she added, winking at Yukiko.

"I'd be okay with Souji or Yosuke, I guess... Kanji doesn't seem like he really wants to be here… and Teddie…" Chie trailed off, unsure how to put into words her desire to avoid being paired with the perverted bear.

Although Yukiko understood that this pairing off idea was simply for fun, she couldn't help but worry that somehow Souji could end up paired with Chie or Rise, and the idea of him enjoying the festivities with another girl was somewhat upsetting. While Chie and Rise were also Souji's friends, she was Souji's _girlfriend_, so wasn't it logical to be a bit possessive about spending time with him during these kinds of occasions? She could only hope that no one else would object if Souji chose her.

After what seemed like an eternity, Teddie finally walked away from the huddle with a huge grin on his face.

"This can't be good," Chie muttered.

"It's decided! I'm going with all of you!"

"Huh?" Chie asked, "What's going on?"

"Oh, well, there were too many guys, so someone would have been left out… I just couldn't let that happen," Teddie explained.

"Haha, I see," Chie said, sounding somewhat relieved.

"You're so kind, Teddie…" Yukiko complimented, eliciting a twinkle of happiness from his eyes.

"We let them decide and this is what we get?" Rise grumbled, "What a letdown… Oh well… let's go, then."

* * *

"That damn bear!" was the first thing out of Yosuke's mouth as soon as the girls were out of earshot.

Kanji still seemed a bit slow to pick up on the current situation, eating his Topsicle as if nothing had happened.

"There goes the only chance that I'll ever have with Risette," Yosuke sulked, giving a small sigh.

"I'm sure there'll be more chances," Souji offered awkwardly, "Let's go have a look around," he suggested, hoping to find something to take Yosuke's mind off of Teddie's treachery.

"Let's get some ikayaki!" Kanji shouted, finishing up the last bit of his Topsicle.

"Could you at least show a little remorse?" Yosuke seethed, "This is kind of your fault, you know!?"

"'Hell are you talking about?"

Souji walked briskly from stall to stall, checking out the various items and souvenirs on display, with Kanji and Yosuke bickering behind him. As he moved about, Souji noticed a distinct lack of people at the festival- as Yosuke had mentioned earlier, it was likely because people were still paranoid about the murders, having absorbed every little detail provided to them by the news. It would likely take weeks for people to return to their daily normal lives.

The trio made a stop at the ikayaki booth, and as Kanji was busy placing his order of multiple plates, Souji heard a familiar voice through the crowd.

"Hey! I found them!"

Turning around, Souji watched as Chie, Rise, and Yukiko emerged through a small crowd gathered around one of the game stalls, all with a somewhat exhausted look on their faces.

"Where's Teddie?" Yosuke asked edgily.

"Oh, well… let's just say he won't be moving for a while," Chie said, her lips pulled slightly upward.

"…That doesn't sound good."

That was quite an understatement by Yosuke. Souji could only imagine what the girls had done to the poor bear, and what he had done to deserve it. On the other hand, knowing Teddie… he probably did deserve it.

"It's not what you think, really," Yukiko quickly replied, with a wave of her hand, "We just told him that the booth selling Topsicles was having a contest, and whoever could eat the most Topsicles in ten minutes would win a date with Kanamin. We all chipped in to buy him some, and after fifteen Topsicles he kind of just fainted."

"Only fifteen!?" Kanji demanded, "If I were there-"

"I still think we should pair off," Rise interrupted, "It'll be a lot more fun than walking around in this huge group," she added, flashing a pearly smile.

"Y-yeah," Chie stammered, "I think we should decide this time."

"Let's go Souji!" Yukiko suddenly blurted, surprising herself with her own forwardness, grabbing Souji by the wrist.

Chie took a brief second to consider between the remaining two boys before motioning for Yosuke to follow her. "C'mon Yosuke! I wanna try the takoyaki!"

"O-okay," Yosuke replied, somewhat surprised, his eyebrows suddenly disappearing under his unruly hair.

"… I guess that leaves me and you Kanji-kun," Rise said sweetly as Chie and Yosuke disappeared through the crowd, gazing into the delinquent's eyes.

"H-huh? Oh…yeah I s'pose," Kanji stuttered, going suddenly red in the face, which drew a giggle from the teen idol, "Uh… anyway, like I was sayin' earlier, I would've eaten twenty Topsicles!"

* * *

Souji and Yukiko walked side by side, arms joined together at the hands, fingers interlocked, through the aisle of stalls, stopping from time to time to try a certain dish or play a game.

Yukiko loved feeling the warmth and pulse of Souji's hand under hers- it was always warm, radiating a strong heat. It reminded her of when she was little, when her father would hold her hand as she used the other to play with the freshly fallen snow- it gave her comfort and a feeling of safety that was different than what she felt when she was with Chie.

"You look very pretty in that yukata," Souji said, breaking Yukiko out of her thoughts.

"Oh, thank you," Yukiko replied, her cheeks burning a light pink.

"What's that stain though?" he asked quizzically, pointing at a small dark blemish just above her bosom.

"Ketchup," Yukiko said grimly, turning to the side as she muttered to herself under her breath. "Oh," she started, suddenly noting the strange look on Souji's face, "Teddie was playing around with a ketchup bottle."

"Ah," Souji responded, nodding, "Figures."

"They have corn over here Souji!" Yukiko suddenly exclaimed, pulling Souji toward a stall where a few people were already waiting in line- the loud sizzling of corn being grilled was loud enough to be heard over the chatter of those standing before him. Souji began pulling out his wallet, before he was stopped by Yukiko.

"I'll pay for this," she said, placing a hand over Souji's arm.

"I just got paid by Yosuke," Souji protested, "Let me do this."

"You can treat me next time, then. I have been craving Aiya's lately…" Yukiko replied, grinning at Souji as he sighed and rolled his eyes, reluctantly shoving his wallet back into his pocket.

* * *

The two chewed on their cobs, walking slowly past the festivities and toward the small hill that lay behind Tatsuhime Shrine, planting themselves underneath a small tree. Up here, it was relatively quiet- the giddy festival was now a distant mumble, and the sound of teeth gnashing into kernels permeated the air.

"What's wrong, Souji?" Yukiko asked after a moment of silence, eyeing the gray haired boy who had a rather stoic expression on his face.

Souji glanced at her, his eyes intense, before tilting his gaze upwards toward the night sky. "… I only just moved here, so I don't know much about Inaba… but this," he said, gesturing to the lights of the festival glowing below them, "This is what I fight for- the way Inaba was before the murders began, when people could smile and truly enjoy themselves without fear."

Yukiko smiled at him, gently placing her hand over his. "Mitsuo's been caught. It'll take time, but Inaba is slowly returning to its normal self, thanks to all of us."

Souji sighed as he leaned forward, shaking his head. "I've been thinking for a while now, and the more I think about it, the less sense it makes."

"W-What are you talking about, Souji?" Yukiko asked, raising a brow quizzically.

"Mitsuo's not the killer," he said bleakly, now playing with the remains of his cob.

"No." Yukiko stood up, staring downwards, her hands balled into fists.

"…Yukiko?"

"No," she repeated, raven hair draping the sides of her face, masking her expression, "We spent four months searching for clues, looking for answers, trying to find the one responsible for all this. We nearly died so many times in the TV World, fighting for the truth, and now…" she broke off, shaking, "… and now all that's been for nothing?"

"Yukiko…" Souji muttered, unable to answer.

"We haven't gotten any closer to the truth, have we?" she asked bitterly, biting her lip, "We're going to have to risk our lives again, going back… back into _that_ other world, just for the sake of some stupid maniac!"

There was a slight pause as a sudden brilliant light filled the air, accompanied by a loud boom, showering the night sky with colorful sparks. Souji stood up, taking in the beauty of the fireworks as the crowd below cheered and whooped.

"…Why can't things just go back to normal?" Yukiko whispered, so faintly that Souji could hardly hear her, "I don't want this anymore… I don't want to fight anymore… If I lose any of you… I…"

Souji approached her from behind, slowly wrapping his arms around her pink obi sash, reaching up with one hand to wipe away a stray tear that formed at the corner of her dark eye. He rested his chin on her shoulder, and together, they stood like that, watching the torrent of colors blasting in the sky.

Further down the hill, Souji could make out Yosuke and Chie in the crowd under the glow of the fireworks, sitting on the grass and chatting idly. To their right, Rise shouted and jumped in joy as each firework went off, Kanji looking slightly uncomfortable as he shifted and squirmed where he sat. Teddie lay beside him, seemingly content, his bear costume at his side. Nanako and Dojima were there too, and Souji could see the light of the fireworks etch a genuine smile onto his uncle's face as his cousin's face lit up with delight in sync with the night sky.

"I'm fighting for them, too," Souji said softly into Yukiko's ear, motioning to the residents of Inaba standing before them, "I'd put my life on the line for all you."

Yukiko mumbled contently, leaning her head back onto Souji's shoulder. "… I guess that's why you're leader, huh?" she sniffed, "You can always manage to be strong for the rest of us."

He smirked at her, thinking of a time just earlier in the week when he too, had thought about the what-ifs of returning to a normal life without the burden of having to bring a supernatural killer to justice while saving his victims from certain death. Yukiko turned her head and smiled back at him, their eyes meeting briefly before her lips found their way onto his own.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I last updated! I've been so caught up with other things that I haven't been able to find the time to simply sit down and write- this chapter is a culmination of single sentences added day by day over the span of five months. I'll try and get off my lazy butt to write faster for the next chapter.**

**I hope Yukiko didn't come off as feeling too overdramatic this chapter- I imagined that it must have been quite a shock, thinking they had caught the culprit only to learn that Mitsuo was nothing but a copycat killer, and that despite their best efforts the killer still eluded them.**

**And Souji, although on the outside he's still the reliable leader that everyone looks up to, he keeps a lot of his concerns and worries to himself, trying not to burden others with his problems.**

**Reviews and critiques are appreciated!**


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